1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to the construction of a hunter's blind for use when hunting wild geese. In particular, the construction of a portable blind which can be moved to the hunting site.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to adequately understand the significance of the present invention it is necessary to understand how water fowl, in particular wild geese, are hunted in the fields. In order to do so requires some background information concerning behavioral patterns and habits of wild geese.
Typically, wild geese roost in river areas at night and fly to fields where food is available to them and feed during the day. It is well known that geese flying in a flock will discover a field such as a corn field containing food, and will return to the field, day after day, feeding in the early morning and late evening hours until all of the food in the field has been consumed. The typical pattern is that the birds will circle the area of the field they desire to land in, carefully examining it for signs of waiting predators or other unusual circumstances which may be dangerous to their safety. Upon circling the area and determining it is safe to land, they will normally land as a group. The final, landing approach will be an upwind approach.
Once on the ground the flock will have certain members usually on the periphery of the flock, who will act as sentinels. They will stand with their heads upright watching for any signs of danger. A feeding goose has, of course, his head down to the ground.
If danger is spotted, the sentinal geese will sound the alarm and the entire flock will fly hopefully to safety.
Geese rely on a sense of smell to detect danger as well as their visual acuity. There are certain behavioral patterns which can be relied upon. The first is that a flock of geese will, when feeding in a field, work their way upwind. Additionally, when landing in a field they will make an upwind approach.
The traditional methods of field hunting geese typically involve the use of one or more hunter's blinds and decoys. The hunters survey the available the fields within 25 miles of the water roosting area to discover which fields are being worked by the geese. After the fields are identified, at night, when the geese are roosting on the water, a hole is dug in the ground in the area where the geese have been feeding and a cover is constructed from local foliage to cover the hole, thus creating the blind. Typically, the holes are quite shallow and the goose hunter is required to lay on his back underneath the blind. Decoys are set out in the field in the area where it is desired that the geese land.
The geese when making their morning trip to the feeding area see the goose decoys on the ground and presumably assume it is safe to land there, and hopefully, they are less cautious and actually do in fact attempt to land. As the geese get near the hunter tosses off the cover of his blind and begins to shoot at the geese.
Geese avoid landing in fields where there are structures such as fences and buildings in the immediate vicinity. Geese prefer to land in open areas where the sentinels can provide adequate warning of the approach of a preditor. Therefore, it is well known in the field that in order to hunt geese you must remove your car from the vicinity. Above ground blinds cannot be used unless they are in the shape of an animal known to be nonthreatening to wild geese. Such animal blinds have been in use for many years, however, none incorporate the viewing features of the present invention.
Scientific studies have been done to determine what type of decoy works best. The studies reveal that decoys that look as much like a goose as possible are by and far the most effective. It is has also been noted that geese are not sensitive to changes in size. The most effective goose decoys are what are commonly called magnum decoys in that they are two and sometimes three times the size of a normal wild goose. Geese do not react adversely to the large decoys and readily land amongst them.
In the course of doing said studies, it has been determined that a goose easily detects mistakes in the shape, coloring, and unusual and extraordinary motions, particularly rapid ones. As a result it is also well known to goose hunters that they must remain absolutely still and avoid the temptation of turning their face skyward to see the geese as they are approaching. The geese are able to easily detect the face of the human hunter, and it is common practice for hunters to darken their skin with grease or to grow beards prior to the hunt.
3. Object of the Invention
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to develop an effective hunter's blind for goose hunting which does not require the hunter to lay on his back in a hole in the ground. It is the second object of this invention to create a hunter's blind which will also serve as an effective decoy and assist in attracting wild geese into firing range. A third object to provide view ports which allow the hunter to safely observe the approaching geese without detection.